Research shows that every drop of alcohol is harmful to the body! Can we drink alcohol anymore?

Drinking culture has a long history in China. Even now, there is a saying that "moderate drinking is good for cardiovascular health", but is there any scientific basis for this saying? Is moderate drinking really good for health?

Is moderate drinking good for cardiovascular health?

In the early 1990s, a paper titled "The French Paradox of Wine, Alcohol, Platelets and Coronary Heart Disease" was published in the famous journal "The Lancet". The conclusion of the paper is that the wine that the French drink every day provides protection for the French. As for the mechanism, it is believed that wine can increase the concentration of high-density cholesterol (HDL) in the blood, and on the other hand, it can prevent the aggregation of platelets, thereby preventing the formation and progression of atherosclerosis.

But in 2015, a study conducted by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden concluded that the protective effect of moderate drinking on reducing the risk of coronary heart disease is only seen in lucky people with a certain genetic type. What is a bit "cruel" is that these lucky people only account for 15% of the total population.

There are many studies on the effects of drinking on cardiovascular health, many of which show that "the incidence of cardiovascular disease in people who drink moderately is lower than that of people who do not drink at all or drink heavily." This has become the basis for "recommending" moderate drinking.

Even in the expert report of the 2015 American Dietary Guidelines, the recommended healthy diet is briefly summarized as "eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, aquatic products, beans and nuts; adults drink alcohol in moderation; eat less red meat and processed meat products; eat less sugary foods, beverages and refined grains." The "moderate drinking" in it is understood by many people as "for health, you should drink in moderation." This seems to add new evidence that "moderate drinking is really good for health."

But in fact, this understanding is wrong. The impact of any food on health is not single. As far as drinking is concerned, even "moderate" drinking may still bring adverse effects in other aspects. According to the view of this report, alcohol is a very special ingredient in the diet, and moderate drinking can be an integral part of a healthy diet, but two points should be noted: first, if you want to drink, it should be "moderate" and "adult"; second, it is not recommended for anyone to start drinking or drink more than the moderate amount for possible health benefits .

So what does "moderate drinking" mean? The guidelines clearly state that the average daily drinking amount should not exceed 1 unit for women and 2 units for men, and within a day, women should not drink more than 3 units and men should not drink more than 4 units. The so-called "1 unit" refers to alcohol containing 0.6 ounces (about 18 milliliters) of alcohol. Corresponding to ordinary alcohol, 1 unit is roughly equivalent to 355 milliliters of beer, or 150 milliliters of wine, or 45 milliliters of 40-degree liquor (if it is 60-degree liquor, it is only 30 milliliters).

Not drinking alcohol is the healthiest way of life

In recent years, many new research results have shown that even "moderate" drinking can cause harm to the body, and not drinking is the healthiest lifestyle.

In 2017, a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed that men and women who drank 14 to 21 glasses of alcohol a week for decades had a 2 to 3 times higher chance of shrinking the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and tolerance, compared to non-drinkers. These people also performed worse in specific oral tests, but other language functions did not seem to be affected. A drink is defined as 10 ml of pure alcohol, equivalent to a large glass of wine, a pint of beer with an alcohol content of 5%, or a small glass of whiskey, vodka or other spirits.

In 2018, The Lancet published a study on drinking and disease, which analyzed 694 data sources on individual and group drinking from 195 countries and regions between 1990 and 2016, as well as 592 studies on the risks of alcohol intake. The results showed that the safest amount of alcohol is zero, that is, not drinking is the healthiest approach.

In 2019, The Lancet published a collaborative study by Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Oxford University, which showed that compared with non-drinkers, consuming 280g of alcohol per week would increase systolic blood pressure by 5mmHg (millimeters of mercury) and increase the risk of stroke by about 30%; for Chinese men, 8% of ischemic strokes and 16% of hemorrhagic strokes were induced by drinking; drinking small amounts of alcohol has no protective effect on physical health .

In summary, according to current research conclusions, any level of drinking has health risks ; moderate drinking has no clear causal relationship with cardiovascular protection; as the amount of alcohol intake increases, blood pressure and stroke risk will continue to increase. Experts suggest that it is best not to drink alcohol if you can avoid it .